Eisenhower 53-69 US foreign policy

Question 1

What was the ‘New Look’ policy? what was the aim?

Answer 1

Eisenhower’s defense policy that emphasised the use of nuclear weaponry rather than conventional forces.

Reconcile the conflicting demands of the military and treasury. Military wanted to spend more, treasury wanted to spend less.

Question 2

What did Secretary of State John Dulles announce in January 1954?

Answer 2

USA would use massive retaliatory power to halt aggression. This generated criticism - saying Eisenhower was pursuing a policy of brinkmanship.

Question 2

Why did Eisenhower focus on reducing military spending?

Answer 2

confident that US power demanded on economic strength rather than weaponry. And that continued high military budget would lead to inflation

Question 3

How was ‘New Look’ tested in Vietnam?

Answer 3

Eisenhower discussed using nuclear weapons to help the French, but decided against it.

Question 4

What happened between Quemoy and Matsu in August 1954?

Answer 4

Communist China promised to liberate Taiwan and shelled the Nationalists in Quemoy.

Question 5

How was ‘New Look’ tested in Quemoy and Matsu?

Answer 5

Eisenhower made it clear that the invasion would not go unopposed, yet he did not bomb the mainland as JCS requested, because he said Quemoy and Matsu were always part of mainland China.

Question 6

What did critics of massive retaliation say?
What did supporters of massive retaliation say?

Answer 6

critics: That it was inflexible, leaving the USA with only one option in a crisis.

supporters:
Said the threat of massive retaliation would mean there would be no crises. They argued that it would stop Communist aggression and expansion, but events in Vietnam and China show otherwise.

Question 7

What was Eisenhower’s policy on Eastern Europe?

Answer 7

He didn’t really do anything about it, despite opportunities in Hungary in 1956. Eisenhower continued Truman’s policy of containment, despite calls for the rollback of communism. Although you could say that Eisenhower’s creation of South Vietnam counts as a rollback in Asia.

Question 8

What was the greatest change in foreign policy under Eisenhower?

Answer 8

He ended the Korean War, although that had already been Truman’s aim

Question 9

How did Eisenhower deal with revolutionaries in latin america or asia he disliked?

Answer 9

Hoped the USSR would refrain from helping revolutionaries out of fear of massive retaliation

Sent US military advisers to train native troops to oppose revolutionaries (Vietnam)

Organized military organisations such as SEATO

Eisenhower ‘bought off’ Bolivian revolutionaries

CIA used covert operations in Guatemala, Iran and Cuba

Question 10

How did the Eisenhower administration handle the economic situation in Latin America?

Answer 10

Felt that ‘strongmen’ would be the best guarantee of internal stability in Latin American countries.
Left investment in Latin America to private capital, but private capital naturally preferred investment in stable areas. So Latin America was left largely unsupported by US economic policy.

Question 11

In what ways did the United Fruit Company exploit their 40,000 workers in Guatemala?

Answer 11

Workers forced to purchase the company’s medical care

Had to buy necessities from the company’s store

Had to rent the company’s accommodation

Paid very low wages

Question 12

What concessions did UFC have from the Guatemalan government?

Answer 12

Minimal taxes
Protection from competition
Domination of Guatemalan ports, shipping, railroads and communications

Question 13

What led to the election of Arévalo when?

Answer 13

1950

Student riots and the middle class promised a national-liberal revolution led by Arevalo.

Question 14

What deal did Árbenz offer to UFC?

Answer 14

Took around 15% of unused UFC land and offered to pay the company $600,000 (This is what they said it was worth in the 1950 tax return). BUT UFC undervalued the land in 1950, so that they could avoid paying lots of tax, they said it was actually worth $16 million. Árbenz refused this deal

Question 15

What did United Fruit do to draw attention to their issue in Guatemala?

Answer 15

They were not convinced the government would help them because they lost their land. So they said that Árbenz was a Communist, which caught the attention of the Communist government.

Question 16

Why did Árbenz seek military aid from USSR? What did this aid look like?

Answer 16

Árbenz believed that the USA and Nicaragua were conspiring to overthrow him.
May 1954 - Soviet’s let the Škoda company export weapons to Árbenz.

Question 17

How was Árbenz overthrown? When?

Answer 17

June 1954 - Castillo Armas and around 200 men entered Guatemala

Question 18

What was the behind the scenes role of the US in overthrowing Árbenz?

Answer 18

1953, begin trying to overthrow him.
100 Guatemalans were given military training, CIAc chose Castillo Armas to lead the invasion.
Armas was given money, an army, a radio station in Nicaragua

Question 19

What are the two opposing opinions on the overthrow of Árbenz?

Answer 19

Positive: New government in Guatemala was more acceptable, the covert operations were a success.
Negative: US involvement alienated Guatemalans and many other Latin Americans.

Question 20

What are 3 different perspectives on what motivated the USA to have covert operations in Guatemala?

Answer 20

Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer (1982) - Biggest contributor was Eisenhower’s desire to support the United Fruit Company

Piero Gleijeses (1991)
Emphasises activities of the Guatemalan Communist Party as the prime US intervention motivation.

Question 21

How did the US misunderstand the situation in Guatemala?

Answer 21

Arbenz had been democratically elected and was a reformist, not a Communist.
There were a few Communists in national legislature and in labour movements, but they had little influence in important institutions.

Question 22

Why was Eisenhower less involved in Bolivia than Guatemala?

Answer 22

Bolivians persuaded Eisenhower that they were not Communists, indeed they were more like fascists.
Bolivia was a distant nation
USA had few investments in Bolivia.

Question 23

What was the Republican view on Latin America? How did Nixon change things slightly?

nixon was vice president btw.

Answer 23

Republicans wanted stability, anti-Communism and a favourable climate for US business in Latin America.
Latin America was not of much interest to Eisenhower, but Nixon pushed hard for more help in Latin America.

Question 24

When was Nixon’s first visit to Latin America? Who did he visit?

Answer 24

1955. He visited Batista and the Nicaraguan dictator Somoza.

Question 25

What was the aim of Nixon’s visit to Latin America?

Answer 25

Reassure Latin Americans that they were respected, and that the US did not take them for granted. The USSR had begun to try and ‘woo’ Latin America.

Question 26

What were the conditions in Venezuela when Nixon visited on his tour?

Answer 26

Dictator General Jiménez was overthrown (he had been supported by Eisenhower administration).
The people had turned on the police and were burning them alive in some districts. The new police were fearful.
There were rumours the US was going to cut off imports of Venezuelan oil because of the overthrow of the dictator.

Question 27

How were Nixon (and his wife Pat) treated when they arrived in Venezuela?

Answer 27

A mob of over 4000 were shouting ‘Kill Nixon’, shattering the limo windows and rocking it to overturn it.

Question 28

What was Operation Poor Richard?

Answer 28

Launched by Eisenhower after learning his VP Nixon was in danger.
US troops were put on standby near Venezuela. Nixon warned Eisenhower that Latin Americans would not approve of US force, and that they would complain of US ‘gunboat diplomacy’.

Question 29

What were the results of Nixon’s Latin America tour?

Answer 29

Nixon felt his visit was a triumph. However, the visit failed to recognise there were non-Communists who disliked the USA. Events in Venezuela played well in the USA, but did not improve relations with Latin America.

Question 30

What was the OPA plan?
Who introduced the OPA? When did he suggest it?

Answer 30

Operation Pan America. It centred on low interest US loans and aroused US suspicions that they were being blackmailed to give Marshall-plan style financial aid.
Juscelino Kubitschek, who became president of Brazil in 1956. It was first suggested in 1955

Question 31

What was the US response to OPA?

Answer 31

Eisenhower administration warmly endorsed it in public but privately resented the financial demands. USA worked quietly against OPA, unlike the conditions surrounding Europe and the Marshall Plan, Latin America seemed unlikely to fall to Communism.

Question 32

What did Eisenhower establish in 1959? (He changed his mind towards Latin America after Nixon’s visit and the rise of Castro)

Answer 32

Inter-American Development Bank with $1 billion capital.

Question 33

What was the Act of Bogotá?
When was the Act of Bogotá signed?

Answer 33

Series of recommendations for measures of ‘social improvements’ and ‘economic developments’.
At the last OAS committee meeting in September 1960